24 hour run: 103 nautical miles
Distance since La Cruz: 1976
Distance to go to Hiva Oa: <1,000!
It is honestly hard to believe that for over two weeks, our world has been the 47 feet of Totem. We estimated once that our area below decks was about the equivalent of a 500 square foot apartment- and a high efficiency apartment at that, considering there are 3 sleeping cabins, 2 "bathrooms", and a main cabin with galley, navigation station and a couple of settees. Add six bodies into the mix and it's amazing that we have not gone stir crazy.
Before we left to go cruising, we spent our last Christmas in the Northwest (2007) at a cabin in the mountains. Knowing we would not have the opportunity to play in the snow for some time, it seemed the perfect way to celebrate the holiday. And it was, truly: I recall it as a beautiful set of picture postcard memories... right up until we were snowed in. Although we had a lovely, spacious cabin, after 3 days of being stuck indoors the meaning of cabin fever truly struck home. The children were bouncing off the lovely log walls. I was craving exercise and finding that being cramped in a small abode did not do good things for my humor. One of my big fears of cruising was that this would repeat itself, tropical style- especially with the children.
It amazes me then that we have spent this extended period of time on board and not once felt that confinement. Is it the huge expanse of sea and sky around us? Impossible to feel confined when the surrounding world appears so immense. Is it the subconscious exercise? We are moving all day, adjusting our bodies to compensate for the movement of the boat. No one motion feels like much, but in aggregate we move a great deal.
I quizzed the children today about how they're feeling to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding, but they too are not feelign the confinement, or limitations, of being in our bobbing vessel for so long. Even the prospect of about another week on board wasn't daunting. Mairen literally jumped up on the bunk and said- "I LOVE IT!". I am not sure how we raised such salty pups, but I'm sure happy we have!
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